Automatic safety angle cock



April 17, 1928. 1,666,478

R. R. SUPPLEE P AUTOMATIC SAFETY ANGLE COCK Filed Oct.23. 1926 5 III Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED TATES PATENT-"OFFICE.- RUSSELL RICHARD soiannnfor lBR IDtrEPORT, PENNSYLVANIA anrom'rrosunrv l nens cock.

- Applicationfiled October 23, 19 2s.

This invention relates to in'iprovements in the angle cock commonly used in air brake systems, these angle cocks being disposed at the ends of thetrain pipe carried by the car or engine, air being maintained at a predetermined pressure within this train pipe to thereby automatically apply the brakes by reduction of train line pressure.

The general object of the present invention is to provide means which will lock the valve of the angle cock in open position when train pressure is maintained at stand ard or is within twenty pointsof the standard train pressure, the angle cock becoming unlocked when the train pressure is reduced for the vpurpose of applying "the brakes.

Another object is to rovide an angle ock of this character which it closed after the engineer or other operator has made a "reduction in the train pipej pressure will make a still further reduction in train pipe pressure and, therefore, act as a signal'giving warning to the engineer or'operator'by setting the brakes much tighter than ordinarily) i Still another object is to provide an angle 14 cock which cannot be shut off so long as standard pressure is maintained in the train P pe- A further object is to provide an angle cock which will drain the surplus air outof the hose forming part of the flexible joint connecting car to car, thus reinoving the danger to trainmen present where the 'service pressure has not been drained out and atrain is divided. i

A still further object; is to provide a valve of this character which is adapted to be used not only for air but for steam or liquid where these fluids are used in'braking devices.

My invention is illustrated the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved angle cock; W I Fig. 2 is a section on the'line 2 -2Qof Figure 1; i M

Fig. 3 is an under side plan view of the angle'cock. i i

Referring to these drawings it will be seen that the body 10 of the angle cock has the ordinary shape of the standard angle cock, one end being interiorly screw-threaded at 11, the other end being downwardly extended as at 12,an'd the body having a longitudinally extending bore 13. Intersecting provided with dcr will be clamped and the stem and piston will move as one.

Serial 3 .143733.

this bore is the usual rotatable tapered valve 14 which extends up through the body to the upper face thereof. The stem of this valve carries upon it the generally circular disk 15 formed at one point in its circumference with the notch 16 and at the opposite point with a shoulder 17, from the base of which extends a flat face 18 which extends chordelllyll with relation to the circumference of the The top of the body is formed with a circular'c iamber 19, within which this disk 15 is disposed, this chamber being interiorly screw-threaded for the reception of the plug 26. As ring 21 is disposed between'this plug and the valve and urges the valve downward. The lower end ofthe valve is a stem 22 upon which the handle 23 is'attached, this handle having a lug 24/ The body on its under face is formed with the hub 25 having two shoulders 26 and 27 disposed at an angle of with relation to each other and against which the lug 24 is adapted to engage in the twopositions of the valve. It will be understood, of course, that the disk 15 rotates with the valve The valve body'is provided on one side of the disk with a longitudinally extending chamber 28 having a lining 29 and disposed within'this chamber is the piston head 30 operating against thelining and having the longitudinally extending skirt 31 and carrying astem-32; This stem 32 passes loosely through the piston and is provided at one end with a nut 33' and inward of this end with ashoulder 34, which bears against the shoulder at the inner extremity of the skirt. \Vhen the nut33 is tightened up, the shoulagainst the piston head,

The end of chamber 28 is closed by a plug 35 having the recess 36 to accommodate the nut The piston rod orstem 32 of piston 30 constitutes a pin extending through a bore 37 which communicates with the chamber 19, and this stem, when the angle cock valve 14 is open, extends-into the recess 16 and locks the valve from'rotative movement. It will be noted from Figure 1 that the plug 35 is formed with a partially arcuate recess 38 and a port 39 extends from the adjacent end of the bore 13 into this recess 38. Thus, the recess 38 will have in it the same pressure as will the entrance end of the angleco ck. 7

opposite side of the'disk from chamber 28 is formed with a valve chamber having a lining 41 formed to provide a valve seat 42. Resting against this valve seat is a valve 43 having a stem itwhich extends through a bore 45 in the inner wall of the chamber and, whenthe valve 14 is in its open position, engages against the shoulder 17 as shown in F1gure'2. he'outerv end of the chamber 40 isclosed by a plug 46 and a spring 47 urges the valve 43 to its seat. The valve chamber is pro vided with a vent 48 the bore for stem tat andthe interior oi the valve chamber is connected to the outlet end of the-angle cock bore by means of the duct- IQ. V 1 p The operation oi this mechanism is'as follows :'ln running position with standard pressure or normal pressure withinthe train pipe, the pressure on the piston head 30 will'l'orce the piston 30'to the left in Figure 1 against the action of the spring and the pin 32 will be forced into engagement with the notch 16, thus locking the valve against any rotation. Whenever the train pipe pressure is raised to within twenty pounds of the standard or normal train pipe pressure, the piston 30 will move torward and carry the pin 32 into its locking position, thus locking the angle cock. Whenever a service reduction is made in order toapply the brakes or whenthe train pipe is free of air, the piston 30 will be urged outward by the spring, thus withdrawing the pin 32 from the disk 15 and thus unlocking the rotary valve lt. The angle cock can then The body on the be opened or closed by means of the handle 23. In order to close the angle cock, there- -tore, as would be necessary for instance, in dividing the train or cutting'out cars, it is necessary. for the engineer orroperator to make a normal train pipe reduction of twenty pounds, which will unlock the disk and permit the valve 14 to be rotated by hand, If after the engineer makes areduction in the train pipe which unlocks the valve, a' person either maliciously or accidentally should attempt to close the angle cock, this action would cause'the face 18 to cam against the valve stem 44, opening the valve 43, permitting the escape of air through-duct 49 and vent 48 and this would-cause a heavier reduction of pressure, setting the brakes tighter and acting as a warning to the engineer or trainman. \Vhen dividing a train, the engineer will makea train pipe reduction, then both'adjacent angle cockscan be closed off. This will act to open the angle cock vent valves 42) of adjacent, train pipe couplings and these ,valves will drain the surplus air out of the {hose .or universal joint coupling between the train pipes, removing the present danger to trainmen in uncoupling the hose or universal between the seat 42 and joint when the pressure is on. By thus using this automatic angle cock in dividing a train and leaving one part of the train on a grade, the brakes on this part of the train so left would be applied and the train could not run or driftaway.

It is to be understood that I have described in the present instance but one embodiment of my invention. In practice certain modifications and changes may be made in the detailed construction and arrangement of parts in order to adapt the inven tion to diiierent systems or improved angle cocks to be used'in accordance with the circun'istances of any particular case.

I clairhz- 1. In an angle cock, a rotatable valve, means acting to automatically lock the valve in its open position when pressure within the train line is increased beyond a predetermined point and, acting to unlock said valve when pressure is decreased beyond a predetermined point, the opposite end of the angle cock body being provided with a vent, a chamber into which the vent opens, a valve in the chamber normally closing the vent and resiliently urged to a seated position, said valve having a pin extending through the Wall of the chamber, the valve being formed to provide a member rotatable with the valve and having a shoulder in its periphery, and a face extending outward from the base of said shoulder to the circumference of the disk, said shoulder being so located that when the valve'is open, said pin may seat within the recess bounded by the shoulder and face, the face acting as the valve is rotated to open position to bear against the pin and open the vent valve.

'2. In an angle cook, a body, a rotatable valve therein having a handle, the'valve at its upper. end being provided with adisk formed with a notch at one point and at a diametrically opposite point with a recess boundedby a radial shoulder and a face ex tending out toward the periphery of the disk, the body at one end being provided with a longitudinally extending chamber communicating at its outer end with the interior of the body,a piston movable in the chamber, a spring urging the piston outward, a pin carried by the pistonand extending through the inner end wallet the chamber and adapted to engage in the notch in the disk-when the rotary valve is turned to open position, the opposite end of the body being provided witha valve chamber,

the interior of the valve chamber being connected by a duct with the interior of the body, and the valvechamber having a vent at the inner-rend of the chamber, a valve within the chamber, a spring urging the valve to a position to-close said vent, the valve having a pin. extending through the to enable the end of the chamber and into said recess in the disk when the rotary valve is turned to an open position.

3. In a fluid braking apparatus, an angle cook, a rotatable valve therein, a member carried by said valve and rotatable therewith and having a notch on one face and being formed in its periphery with a shoulder and aface extending outward from the base of said shoulder to the circumference of the member, the body of the angle cock being formed with a longitudinally extending chamber connected at its outer end to the interior of the inlet end of the angle cock, a piston operating in said chamber, a spring urging the piston outward, the piston carrying a locking pin engageable with the notch in said member when the rotatable valve is opened and pressure raised in the train line, said spring acting to urge-the piston in a direction to carry the pin out of locking engagement with the member when the train line pressure is reduced, the body of the angle cock being provided with a vent, a

valve normally closing the vent and resili- V ently urged to a seating position and having a pin extending into contact with the periphery of the member, said pin coacting with the valve is rotated to open position to bear,

against the pin and open the vent valve;

4. In an angle cook, a rotatable main valve therein, a member rotating with the valve, means coacting with said member to lock the valve in its open position when the pressure within the train line is increased beyond a predetermined point and acting to unlock said valve when the pressure is decreased beyond a predetermined point, a valve formed in the body of the angle cock and communicating with the interior ofthe body, and a vent valve normally closing said vent and urged to a closed osition, said member acting as the valve ls rotated to open position to open the vent valve and when the rotatable valve is rotated to a closed position to permit the vent valve to close. i

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

RUSSELL RICHARD SUPPLEE. 

